Build the structure that holds under growth.
Operational leadership for growing UK construction and trades businesses — cash flow governed through the payment cycle, capacity under control, delivery on programme, and a founder who can finally step out of the daily firefight. Embedded, part-time, at a fraction of a full-time COO.
The problem on a growing site
Demand is strong and the order book is full — but growth is making things harder, not easier. Every decision still runs through the founder. Capacity is managed in your head. Cash is tight despite the work, because the payment cycle isn't governed. Hiring is reactive. The whole business depends on the one person who built it — and that person can't take a day off without things slipping.
What a fractional COO installs
Cash through the cycle
Forward cash visibility built around real payment terms, retentions and stage payments — so growth doesn't strangle the business it's meant to build.
Capacity & resourcing
A clear, governed view of crew and subcontractor capacity against the pipeline — so you take the right work and resource it properly.
Delivery rhythm
The operating cadence that keeps projects on programme and surfaces problems early — instead of on the day they blow the deadline.
A business that runs without you
The structure and second-line capability so the operation keeps moving when you're not on site — and you get your week back.
What it looks like in practice
Working with a UK construction founder who had become the single point of failure — running daily operations directly, hands-on every hour the business was open. The work was installing the structure, cadence and authority for the business to run without him.
Who it is for
UK construction, trades and asset-heavy businesses where the order book is strong, growth is real, and the founder has become the bottleneck the whole operation runs through.
What it costs
An embedded fractional COO with Purpose In Action costs ,500–,000 per month, about £6,500–£11,500, for one to three days a week inside the leadership team — the same fee for UK and US clients, and the same for a construction business as for a law firm. Where a business is under
Start with a conversationM, or the systems do not yet exist and the job is to install them and hand them back, Founder Operational Advisory runs at ,500–,500 per month (≈ £2,600–£5,500) for three to six months. Both begin with the 4-Week Operational Assessment. The benchmark to hold it against is a full-time operations director at £150,000–£250,000 in year one, or the margin leaking from two or three jobs a year that finish at 12% instead of the 22% they were priced at. Start with a conversation
A 30-minute Operational Clarity Call — a direct read of where your business stands. Or begin with a 4-Week Operational Assessment for the full picture.
Book an Operational Clarity Call →